Even during the time of cave paintings, animals were to be found among the main motifs of man’s artistic interpretation of the world. And still today the close connection to our nearest relatives is an important topic whose significance may have changed over the course of time but whose explosiveness and relevance has never been lost. On the contrary, it is exactly among today’s professions occupied with human research in the broadest sense, such as genetic researchers, pharmacologists and doctors, that animals serve as ‘models’ for the solution of the puzzle.

The animal in man has not only been a longstanding topos with respect to science, but we have always encountered this unique connection in mythology, art and literature. So-called chimeras (Ancient Greek Χίμαιρα, Khimaira, ‘she-goat’) are fictitious hybrid beings composed of parts of two or more creatures. Or just think of Aesop’s Fables, where animals are the main players constantly representing human behaviour in the parables. Representations of such intermediate beings whose identity cannot be clearly defined, at least externally, are often to be found in cartoons of newspapers and magazines. Here, bodily features of animals are made use of to associate the caricatured person with the attributes of the presented animal. In the new media, we encounter crosses between humans and animals as protagonists in TV series and computer games, in science fiction and phantasy movies. These freaks, often illustrated as degenerate, have nothing more in common with the once matter-of-course co-existence between human and animal. Livestock and the publicly unembellished use of their products are moving further and further out of our field of view. Instead, it can be observed in urban areas how domestic animals are becoming more and more anthropomorphized. Dog parlours take care of the fashionably precise appearances of these four-legged creatures and psychoanalysts of their psychological wellbeing. While animal orthopaedists adjust prostheses for the clients’ little darlings, people strive to imitate the climbing techniques of apes as perfectly as possible –these themes are explored by artist Peter Wehinger. Mihailo Beli Karanovic, in contrast, dedicates his works to the perspective of the animals and prepares staged burial ceremonies for collared doves – the most populous city dwellers.

On the one hand, humans clearly dominate animals and force them into their own behavioural patterns. On the other hand, some animal characteristics are regarded as exemplary and much worth emulating. But at no point must it be forgotten that man and the animals live in interdependency and that any exertion of influence can shake up this sensitive balance. Whether through environmental contamination re-entering the human body through the food chain or animals advancing increasingly often into built-up spaces due to the destruction of our habitats.

Participating Artists:

Gallery :

Erik Šille, born 1978 in Rožňava, Slovakia 2000 . Study at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava.
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Marianna Vlaschits, born .1983, lives and works in Vienna and Berlin. 2005-2010 Study at the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna and 2009 Slade School for Art, London

Peter Wehinger, born 1971, lives and works in Vienna . Study at the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna class of Monica Bonvicini and Peter Kogler

Mihailo Beli Karanovic, born 1980 in Vrsac in Serbia , Study at the University of Novi Sad. Lives and works in Milan

Projektspace:

Daniela Auer born 1985, , lives and works in Vienna
Study at the Academy of Fine Art

Rukmini Klier born 1986, lives and works in Vienna
Study at the Academy of Fine Art

Alexandra Mia Monkewitz born 1979 Zürich CH , lives and works in Vienna

Alexander Hengl born 1984, lives and works in Vienna
Study at the Academy of Fine Art